Starting from March 1, Thais and Chinese traveling to each country will no longer need a visa, as part of the latest agreement between both governments, said Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin today.

“The new privilege marks an upgrading to the mutual relationship,” Srettha said. Authorities concerned will be informed to prepare for the new regulations to facilitate travel, he said.

Previously, Thailand waived the tourist visa requirement for Chinese tourists as part of efforts to boost tourism to Thailand among Chinese visitors. However, this privilege is set to end after February.

Srettha told reporters that the waiver will replace the near-end rules for Chinese people. “This reflects the importance of the Thai passport on the international stage,” he said.

He referred to earlier reports that China has granted temporary visas to five countries, excluding Thailand.

“We had been criticised for not being important to China. However, during that time, we had discussions with China to waive visas for Thai passport holders. Today, we have good news about the permanent visa waiver, not just temporarily.’